Letting Go of The Ring

You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. // Matthew 22:37

Snuggled on the couch, popcorn in hand, I was enjoying my annual viewing of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, specifically Return of the King. I was at the part when Frodo, after surviving many perilous obstacles, finally made it to Mount Doom and was about to throw Sauron's ring into the lake of fire. However, as he stared at the ring and his desire for it grew overwhelming, Frodo couldn’t let go of the ring, a ring that promised false happiness and power to whomever possessed it.

This reminded me of a time I was in prayer during a retreat. As I was quietly praying, that scene unexpectedly popped into my mind. I thought, “What the heck? Why’d that come to mind?” Then Jesus spoke to my heart explaining that I was Frodo and I wasn’t letting go of the ring. I was baffled. What was Jesus talking about? What was my ring? Since that time at prayer, Jesus has slowly been showing me what I was holding onto and not letting go of. 

It wasn’t a big mortal sin; rather, it was a combination of attitudes, mindsets, and habits that kept me from living today's Gospel completely: "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

Examine your heart. Sometimes seemingly innocent things can creep into the center and take over. It could be a dysfunctional relationship, the need to be in control, a negative self attitude, or the over-reliance on something (shopping, binge watching, food/alcohol, etc) to bring us comfort. Is there something Jesus wants to weed out or heal in order for you to live more fully in the love of God? 

Holy Spirit, enlighten my mind. Show me those things that keep me from loving You with all of my heart, mind, and soul. Give me the grace to let them go so I can love You more deeply. Amen.